If there's one thing Jeannie Lin knows how to do well, it's create an atmosphere of tension and high stakes. This was perhaps my favorite aspect of the story. Ryam and Ai Li were on the run for the majority of the book. The story centers around political intrigue and family honor. Both Ryam and Ai Li are very much self-sacrificing characters, which adds a distinct layer of complication to their romantic relationship - especially towards the end of the book. Ai Li has run away from her arranged marriage after learning of her fiancé's potential involvement with her brother's death. The connection between MCs fell into the realm of insta-lust/insta-love, and I think in the context of the story and its heightened adrenaline it made sense. This book did very little to endear a reader to Li Tao, Ai Li's betrothed and the character behind all of the military and political scheming. I am especially curious to see how their storyline plays out in book 2.

I was confused in the beginning when Ryam's physical description was outlined before realizing he was not an Asian character. This may have been easier to distinguish through eyeball reading as opposed to the audiobook, which was the format I chose. Once I understood that the term "barbarian" was referencing a unique group of people from the West (somewhere in Europe), it made more sense. I did have to do some Googling to gain better context for this bit of information.